Dreams of Fireflies
by BishieKeith
Summary: This short story takes place after Kenshin and Kaoru have been married. Kaoru falls ill with a bit of the flu and Kenshin plays nursemaid to her throughout the night. Some time during the night though, are when the fireflies sneak in. Romance!


The characters belong to the creators of RK! Yay! This takes place after Kenshin/Kaoru's marriage and before Kenji.   
  
  
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"Kenshin, there are fireflies in the room .."  
  
Kaoru's voice is softly slurred with sleep, lips moving even after she finishes speaking - mouthing tidbits of dreams. The young woman is delicately lovely for now, she's always had a special way of appearing tender when laying on the futon. Hardly rustling, her sleep a wonderful array of soft breathing and the flutter of her eyelashes when she is so far from herself. There is one movement that is uniquely hers, the faint grasping motion of her fingers whenever her dreams call to her too deeply, those limber fingers curl up beneath her chin, nails whispering against calloused palms. Magic has always been hers when she sleeps, it beckons any that watches her sleep into a lulled trance, for any edges of her form, face or personality melt into hazy soft curves.   
  
Resting in the inward curve of her hip, his forearm laid, hand curled lazily over her robe clad stomach. "Hnn?" those fingers slipped down and beneath the fabric, testing the heat of the skin of her middle. Kaoru had kept fever for three days now, and to him it felt like the searing warmth was finally fading away, returning the healthy flush to her cheeks. It took a moment, but Kenshin finally heard what she said, lifting his head and leaning forward, bodies pressing for the moment as he gazed at her fast. Asleep. Blissfully so at that. ... fireflies..? Violet eyes lifted, clearing from sleep as his hands went on auto, guiding the covers around her resting form, tucking here and there, never lingering for long.  
  
"There are no fireflies here, Kaoru." he began, sitting up as his portion of covers fell to his waist, revealing the creamy yutaka hanging on his shoulders. "You're just dreaming." added softly and for himself. She dreams .. and that means she is alive, perhaps she will rouse tomorrow .. sit and take her tea, and smile at me without the pain of fever in her eyes. For once, his observant nature failed him .. for a glow illuminated one corner of the room, gold fire lighting the darkness of their bedroom.  
  
"Oro ...!" Distracted, he snapped his gaze back to his sleeping.. yes.. sleeping wife. How does she..  
  
He cut his thoughts off to stare as a second flicker warmed another part of the room, near the sliding door to th-- he had left it partially open! They had taken to bed early, just when the sun was setting.. so it only makes since now, in the last hour of dusk, that some where able to find their way in. Kenshin soon realized 'some' was an underestimate, he ended up counting ten .. and not quite sure if he was counting the same ones again. He was mystified, perhaps it was the candle that Megumi sent over for him to burn, to help Kaoru's sickness. There could have been a scent ..  
  
There was almost an unnoticeable change in her breathing as she roused, eyes opening slowly, drawing into focus what appeared to be a glowing room. Her husband turned, picking up on this new awareness, but before he could speak and offer to shoo them away, she spoke. "They're so lovely."  
Tears. "Kaoru...?" .. it must be from the fever, the water in her eyes had not fallen yet .. but just made the blue in her eyes as striking as the burst of light ever so often in the room.   
  
"Don't let them go away .." she whispered, attempting to sit up, the ache in her body ebbing in .. making her feel old, even though she was so young. "It would be nice to have fireflies every night."   
  
Kenshin gently scooped an arm around her back, adjusting himself so that while she was sitting up, her back was resting against his chest, Kaoru's thick braid spilling across his lap. "Why is that?" She's so wonderfully alive, even if she is hurting now ... he knew of no one that appreciated such things, and when the sudden swell came through his chest at the thought of this, he encircled his arms around her, hands moving to find hers.  
  
There was a smile from her, he sensed it even if he could not see her face. " ... because the last time, they stayed while you left ... so it's wonderful to have the both." she allowed herself to relax back into his form, closing her eyes as she pursed her lips. "Kenshin, thank you." the tender embrace of his hands soothed away the tears before they had a chance to fall, and she found hers weaving back, a thumb stroking over one of his firm palms. It was perfect here, watching the lazy drift of the fireflies as they lit and glowed about the room, brightening certain spots and drawing attention to them. Kaoru realized that nothing in the dark ever appears special until something wonderful showed that. -- ... Kenshin was a firefly! The smile rose again and tickled up a laugh from her.  
  
The redhead was perplexed, it cannot be the fever .. it's gone down so much at this point! Perhaps it's .. no, she's gotten plenty of sleep. "Don't thank me, I haven't ..." he trailed, the laugh startling him at first before he grinned, realizing the woman within his arms was trembling not from tears, but from giggles. "Kaoru.." Kenshin started, but was silenced by his wife's finger.  
  
Kaoru turned in his arms slowly, hip pressing into the futon as she supported her upper half against him, that smiling face now beaming upwards. "Shh, Kenshin." her finger grazed his lower lip, following the tender line of flesh she so loved to study. "The fireflies are here to take you back. I can't have that." with that, only smiling further at the confusion on his face, she rested a hand upon his thigh and leaned up, pressing her lips to his. " .. can't have it at all ..." but there was no jealous bite to it, only a loving coo as she whispered against his mouth, enticing him to return the affection.  
  
'She does something everyday that amazes me ..' he thought before wrapping his arms about her again, this time drawing Kaoru's form into his lap, her bottom fitting comfortably in his lap as her slender legs slid out over the side of his legs, the white skin suddenly illuminated by a firefly that had strayed close to the futon, the flying path following the line of her shin. "Oh." she was kissing him, and he was so distracted by the firm muscle of her calf, and smooth line of her leg .. a wonderful distraction, but one none the less. Pleased, but still worried, he held his lips to hers, tipping his head into the kiss as his fingers trailed up her back, one hand cupping for her neck. Two reasons were hand in hand with the action, one to check her temperature again .. and the other to feel the silky flesh.   
  
This time she let herself indulge, not pulling away for a bit .. figuring that being ill for a couple of days .. you deserve a kiss like that. "There, they know you're mine now." only a smile from him followed her words, and she returned it just as sweetly.   
  
"Kaoru .. you need your sleep." he rumbled, voice husky from the kiss .. but tamed gentle, fingers roaming up .. but only tucking her yutaka more snugly about her as he slid down into the bed, taking her with him. Gently working into a spooning position, he nestled his face against the side of her neck, kissing softly once as he draped his arm over her side once more.  
  
Smiling, she snuggled back into the solidness of his body, fitting in a way that seemed to her, utterly perfect. "Mmhmm." Kaoru watched the fireflies a bit more as they danced and weaved about the room, occasionally wondering so close that they would lighten Kenshin's hair, or the air right before her face. " ... but you owe me tomorrow." sleep was then feigned immediately, a blush creeping to her cheeks following her words. There was never a reply heard, but she felt the tender squeeze of his arm and the softly blown breath over the curve of her shoulder .. there was a promise in those actions, one that moved the feign into a deep content sleep.  
  
Kenshin lay awake for only a bit after, watching the fireflies as well, a faint smile resting on his lips as he stroked his hand over Kaoru's stomach, a lazy drifting motion. Her words lingered in his mind, keeping that loving smile on his lips far into his dreams, even until all the fireflies either slept or drifted back out the partially opened screen door.  
  
Though .. before the fireflies left, they would drift close, flashing light beautifully onto the faces of the sleeping lovers, traveling with a silent movement of wings along their bodies, lighting the way the cloth draped about them, the faint movements of sleep and the room that was now ready to be filled with so many memories. This time, it was the fireflies that left and returned to the night, and Kenshin that stayed.  
  
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Great Rurouni Kenshin fan comic by reverseblade, Battousai High. http://www.reverseblade.com Wonderfully illustrated and written! A definite must for any Kenshin fan. 


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